As an avid hunter, your hunting dog is considered as a trusted part of your family. You have to give him some extra training and care. It’s important to care for him well. Just when your dog is healthy, you can get a successful hunting season. At the same time, many more successful things come. Let’s take a look at this article to learn how to take care of your hunting dog.

Take care of your dog at home

Make regular vet appointments

It’s important to check your dog at least once per year. If you have a hunting dog, it’s best to give him semi-annual checkups. Hunting dogs often have to expose many elements. And, they also easily get injury out in the field. There are many health issues your dog may have to face as the thyroid problem, diabetes, and kidney ailments. That’s why you need to keep an eye on your dog’s health.

Give your dog a proper diet

You need to give your hunting dog a nutritious diet with a lot of energy. So, it’s important to provide him the food high in calories. They can help him stay warm and active out in the field. You should choose foods high in fat level. It’s best to feed your dog a 20% fat content.Your dog won’t get sufficient energy from starches and grains. But, you have to give your dog a diet rich in animal-based protein. Also, your dog needs sufficient water.

Exercise your dog

Regular exercise is helpful for your dog, especially for your hunting dog. It’s best to prepare him for the rigors of hunting in the wilderness, not only your usual day-to-day walking exercises. If your dog is overweight, it’s important to get an accelerated training program that can help to get him into hunting shape.

Groom your dog

This is one of the important parts when it comes to maintaining any dog’s health and wellness. This depends on the coat, the breed, and the conditions you plan to hunt. Your dog needs a professional groomer who can trim his coat a little shorter. By this way, your dog can make his coat dry faster after he swims. Also, it can help to reduce the chances of a bacterial infection. It’s best to brush his coat at least once a week. In addition, it’s also important to keep his nails trimmed. This has the purpose of preventing injured toes.

Refresh Your Dog’s Training

Apply the place command

This helps you keep your dog stationary when hunting for game. Your dog has to learn how to stay on any kind of terrain, not just on a flat.

Train your dog with a launcher

Thanks to remote launchers, you can train your dog to do many things as chase, guard a downed animal, as well as track down. You can consider using a dummy bird to make your dog chase downed birds in the wild. And, you can train your dog for all kinds of scenarios as well. It’s easy to purchase remote-controlled launchers as well as manually-operated wingers at many hunting supply stores.

Use scent training

You can make your dog chase a scent by using a scent-infused training dummy.You can tie this device to a six-foot cordat the end or along the way.

Use a roll cage

You can use a roll cage in order to train gun dogs. The thing you need to do just is placing a live raccoon inside. This tool helps your dog build his confidence. Then, he can be able to be accustomed to tracking and cornering prey.

Take your dog hunting

Protect your dog from extreme temperatures

When you go hunting, your furry friend can be exposed to extreme heat or cold. Your pet is suitable for outdoor activities. So, it’s important to protect him from any weather extreme. If it rains, you need to provide your dog a shelter. Make sure you bring a warm blanket after a long day in cold weather.And, if he’s too hot, it’s time to apply an ice pack on his body in order to cool him down fast.

Protect your dog from snakes

When you go hunting, your dog is easy to be at risk of snakebite in the field. So, remember to bring a rattlesnake vaccine when going hunting. You can purchase a hunter-friendly vaccine kit from the Red Rock Biologics. It’s made to save your dog’s life once he’s bitten. It costs about $30 to $40 per dose. It’s best to avoid prairie dog colonies, rocky south-facing slopes, as well as old abandoned buildings in the fields.

Treat Common Injuries

Prepare a first aid kit

You need to carry some basic first aid equipment in order to treat or prevent injuries in the fields. A good kit needs to have a sterile saline rinse, hydrogen peroxide, a rectal thermometer, a gauze wrap, non-stick gauze pads, tweezers and a magnifying glass, a splint, cortisone cream, aspirin, antihistamines like Benadryl, sufficient food and water bowls, an instant cold pack, and snakebite anti-venom.

Check for ticks

It’s essential to check your pet for ticks after the injuries. Ticks can be able to the cause of transmitting Lyme disease and other infections to your pet. It’s not easy to find ticks on a dog’s body.

Soothe arthritis pain

Your dog may have to suffer from osteoarthritis because of the breed, age, or repeated hunting seasons. As the result, his mobility is limited. In order to prevent it, you need to feed him a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, it’s a good idea to try using supplements.